For effective utility management not only is it neccesary for staff to be well informed but they also need the relevant tools, methodologies and training to continue to address water management on-site.
The National Lean Water & Energy Skillnet was set up to address this growing needs for up-skilling and professional development of personnel that work in the areas of environmental, water and energy management.
Lean approaches and tools offer a powerful and proven means to drive energy, water and resource efficiency initiatives, delivering costs savings in the short term while helping organisations achieve longer term sustainability targets and international standards. Furthermore, utility management has unique challenges and needs a dedicated approach to harness the potential that Lean offers in this area.
The training network builds on the work, over the last 18 months, of the EPA funded Lean water Community of Practice. This Community of Practice allows companies to share knowledge and best practices around topical issues of water management and related energy management. These companies have identified water and the broader utility management as a key strategic area to be addressed in response to the key drivers of Sustainability, Competitiveness, Leadership & Reputation and the Changing Tariffs & Compliance requirements.
The network identified a range of training needs and the network can now offering training in a variety of topics such as
- HVAC Operations Optimisation
- Mapping Water at Industrial Facilities
- Open Access Gateways for Energy and Water Monitoring
- Financing Water Projects